Improvement in car-couplings



2 Sheets-:Sheet 1 G. H. AMES. Car-Coupling.

Patented |July 23,1878.

2 Sheets-Sheet 21 G. H. AMES. Car-Coupling.

Patented July 23, 1878;

UNITED STATES GILLMAN H. AMES, ()F ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-CCUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,159, dated July 23,1: 78; application fil ed February 24, 1877.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILLMAN II. Aims, of Adrian, in the county ofLenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in (Jar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact'description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings of the same, which form a part ofthis specification.

In my improved device for coupling railwaycars I employ a draw-head, alarge portion of the top and bottom of which is open to reduceits weightand give freedom for the proper working of the rear or unconnected endof the coupling-bar, the latter being provided with side pins, whichwork in the side slots of the draw-heads, while the rear ends of thedrawheads are connected to the car.

The coupling-bars have each a front slot and subjacent hook, by means ofwhich the coupling is effected as the cars are brought together.

The draw-heads are connected to the car by means of a yoke or shank andco-operating followers arranged between the bumper-timbers and suitablestops, and the draft and concussion are borne by springs, one within theother, and arranged side by side between the followers, to give greaterresisting force and durability. In connection with the drawhead and itsattachments, I use a protectingbumper attached to the end of the car,the object of which is to relieve the draw-head and springs from toogreat pressure when the cars are brought together.

I have combined with the coupling-bar, n11- attached at its rear end, anopen-top drawhead, an uncouplingshaft, and center lever withchain-connection, whereby the uncoupling may be readily effected byraising the rear end of said coupling-bar.

The draw-head connection with the car and the coupling-bar connectionwith the drawhead are such as to afford a co-operatin g action offreedom or play to these parts in relieving the cars and giving aneasier movement to them. In making the connection with the car and ingiving protection to the couplingbar the draw-head, with its curved orinclined side slots and yoke or shank, is complete in itself, and isadvantageous in its construction and application.

lVhen necessary to use the common crooked link in attaching my couplerto the old-style draw-bar, the coupling-bar is thrown back in thedraw-head and a pin is employed, which is attached to and has its socketor rest in the draw-head.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents two draw-heads withtheir attachments, the coupling-bars being coupled, and one of thedraw-heads shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top view, showing thecoupling-bars uncoupled. Fig. 3 is a side view of the couplers asapplied to the cars and in positions ready for coupling. Fig. 4 is a topview of the same in positions when coupled, the floor of the cars beingremoved to expose the drawhead attachments. Fig. 5 is the draw-head andits attached yoke, and Fig. 6 is a view of the position of thecoupling-bar and pin when necessary to use the common crooked link; Fig.7, a section like Fig. 1, but showing the rear part of the undercoupling-bar half-elevated and thrown forward as far as it will go touuhook it from the hook of the upper bar, the uncoupling-lever havingbeen moved through half its arc and Fig. 8, a similar section, showingthe uncoupling-bar fully raised and drawn backward in the draw-head tomaintain the separation of the couplingbars until the cars are parted,the uncouplinglever having been moved through its full are to effectsuch relative positions ofthe couplingbars.

In the claims I shall point out specifically the parts and combinationwhich embrace my invention.

The draw-heads A are provided with curved or inclined slots to on eachside, which extend rearwardly, and into which strong arms or pins 1) ofthe coupling-bars B extend and work. The function and advantage of thesecury'ed or inclined side slots of the draw-heads are that they giveprotection to the coupling-bar, when it comes in contact with obstacles,by allowing it to recede. They also admit of the couplingbar beingbrought forward by its own weight when thrown out of coupling position.

The greater portion of the top of the drawhead is open,to give perfectfreedom to the rear either steel or iron, a ridge or head, a", may 1 beformed around the side slots 1! and along the sides, to strengthen thedraw-heads and increase the wearing-surfaceof the slots within which thepins I: work.

Thus I obtain the greatest possible lightness with the requisitestrength.

'hen the draw-heads are of wrought-iron, pieces of metal may be tittedand riveted or welded around the lower portion of the side slots for thepurpose above stated, and a head or face plate may be riveted to thedram-head, or a solid or dropped head may be applied. as may be deemedbest.

The draw-heads are connected to the car by means of a yoke or openframe, arranged to work in connection with followers and springs, aswill be presently stated.

The coupling-bars II have each a slot, c, at their front ends, and asnbjacent hook or prong, d, with rearwardly-deelined outer side,

and should be made heavierat their rear ends c to maintain them inhorizontal or coupling positions. The side arms or pins b of thesebars,which work in the curved side slots of the draw-head, are arrangednear their center to allow of the proper coupling and uncoupling actionof the bars.

The front ends of the coupling-bars are formed so as to readily slip byeach other, and when the cars are brought together and the By thisconstruction and arrangement I ob tain a secure connection of thedraw-heads with the cars and a proper resisting force.

In order to obtain the proper draft and resisting force and durability,I double the springs by arranging one, F, within the other, I, the coilsof which may be reversed.

When the ears are pulling, the rear followers I) are brought forward,compressing the springs and keeping the draft upon them, because theforward followers are held in position by their cheek-pieces orstopsfot' the lmmper-timbers. When the drawheads are driven back thepressure is also received upon the springs as the action of thefollowers is released. The springs are held in place by pins fixed toamt protecting from one follower through openings in the other, or shortpins or projections may extend from each follower for this purpose.Instead of the yoke, a headed shank. t", may be used in connecting thedraw-heads to the car by the shank passing through the rear end of thedraw head and both the followers at their centers, and securely fastenedback of the rear follower by a key, 9, or other suitable way.

In connection with, and in order to add so curity to, the draw-hemls,springs, &c., 1 use a protecting-bumper, (l, one or moreof which may beapplied to each end of the car. They are used to receive the blow whenthe drawheads are driven back a certain distance by the cars beingforced together, and they should be made of sutiicient size for thepurpose.

\Yhen convenient, the protecting-bumpers may be placed on the dead-wood,and by arranging them directly in front of the center 1 sills a greatersecurity is given to the body ends of the coupling-bars pass each otherthe front end of the lower bar strikes the outer side of the hook orprong of the upper bar.

raising and passing under it until the hook of the upper bar drops intothe slot of the lower bar, which completes the coupling operation.

If desired, the coupling-bars may be made in sections, to render theirrepairing more simple; and theymay be steel-pointed to increase of thecoupling-bar by means of a chain,j.

their wearing capacity.

The yoke or open frame may be rigidly or loosely secured to the rear endof the drawhead. In either case it embraces two followers, D I), whichare arranged between the lmmper-timbers IQ of the car, and aremaintained in their respective positions against cheek-pieces or stopsffby springs F, arranged side by side between the followers, and hearingupon them. These cheek'pieces or stops are secured to the bumper-timbersI in front of the forward follower and back of the rear follower, andthe latter rest and move upon plates ff bolted to the under side of thebumper-sills.

of the cars. When used on the dead-wood, they may be fastened to thatalone, or they may be bolted through both the dead-wood and end sills.Instead of the metallic protecting-bumper, an elastic or rubber bumper,(l, of snfiieient size may be used.

The uncoupling of the cars is effected from the side of the car by meansof a shaft, 1]. which passes across the end of the car, and is looselysecured to the top of the dead-wood or car. To the center of the shaftis attached a short lever, 11, which works in a slot, i,in the dead-woodfor that purpose. The center lever of the shaft is connected to the rearend of suitable length.

At each end of the shaft is a crank-handle, 7., turning up which raisesthe rear end of the bar, and depressing its front end releases thehookconnection and unconples the cars.

A lever may be attached so as to uncouple the cars from the platform ortop of the cars, if desired.

In connection with the uncoupling device. and its attached coupling-bar,the open-top draw-head is an essential element, as it gives full freedomfor the rear end of the couplingbar to rise both in coupling anduncoupling.

The draw-head, with its curved inclined side slots and yoke, whetherfixed or loosely connected therewith or the shank, as a means for makingthe connection with the car and of giving protection to the coupling-bar, is complete in itself, and is simple in construction andindispensable in its functions.

The draw-head is held loosely between the bumper-timbers by means of anangle-iron, I, bolted to the under sides of said timbers, and upon whichthe draw heads rest, so as to have a little freedom or play bothlaterally and vertically upon their connections with the car. Thisfreedom of the draw-head and the non-rigid connection therewith of thecoupling-bar are important as a means of relievin g the cars of sidethrusts to a very great extent, and give an easier movement.

The draw-head connection with the car, whether by the yoke or the shank,is such as to give the accommodating action stated.

The yoke or open frame may be fixed to, and constitute a part of, the.draw-head, or it may pass around the rear end of the drawhead, leavingthe latter free to be moved backward independent of the yoke.

In Fig. 1 the coupling-bars are shown in positions at rest, with thepins or arms of the bars resting against the back of the lower part ofthe side slots of the draw-head and in Fig. 7 the rear part of the undercouplingbar is half elevated, the arms of the bar thrown forward againstthe front of the side slots, and the point of the bar farther into theopposite draw-head, the slot of said under bar being thus disengagedfrom the hook of the upper bar, while in Fig. 8 the disengaging-lever isshown as fully turned up and the under bar drawn back in the draw-headfar enough away from the hook of the upper bar, so that said under barwill remain back until the cars are separated, even though theuncoupling-lever turns back into its resting position; and this completewithdrawal of the coupling bar must be effected whether the cars stopwith the draw heads close together or not. So, also, must the bars bethrown forward far enough to disengage the hook at the proper time inthe movement of the bar, which is at the point of its half elevation.For this purpose the uncoupling device is used, as by it I get a motionforward to loosen and separate the slot of the lower bar from the hookof the upper bar, and a backward motion, whereby the bar is thrown backin the draw-head, completing the uncoupling operation.

Now, if the uncoupling-lever be turned up into a horizontal position, asshown in Fig. 7, the motion from the position in Fi 1 has been not onlyto raise the rear end of the bar, but to throw it forward, and if thebar was sitting back any in the side slots, or therewas any slack wherethe draw-heads were fastened to the car, it takes up such slack bythrowing the side pins of the bar firmly against the front sides of theslots of the draw-heads, loosening the point where the two bars areconnected, and throwing the end of the lower bar down off the hook, asseen in Fig.7. This motion of the lever forward makes it possible forthe bars to be uncoupled with little or no slack as the cars naturallystand, and this is often necessary, especially on a curve.

Thus far the motion has been upward and forward; but from the positionshown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8 the motionis upward andbackward, carrying the bar clear back, and nearly or quite out of theother draw-head. Now, when the bar is in this position, as shown in Fig.8, and the center lever h is allowed to drop down, the bar will remainback in the draw-head, and its arms will rest upon the second slant ofthe side slots, while it is held in position by the front end of theupper bar resting upon it until the cars are separated, so that theuncoupling-lever gives two motions in uncoupling, which are necessary toproduce the desired result. The first movement is the forward movementuntil the bars are separated, and the second one is the rearwardmovement to throw the bars apart and out of the way of the hook.

In a patent granted to me October 27, 1874, I employ short weightedcoupling-bars, with arms or pins working in. side slots in the drawheads, having deep sides and closed tops, and the coupling-barscompressed to be uncoupled by raising their rear ends within thedrawheads; but in my present invention I employ an open-top draw-head,with the short coupling-bar adapted so that the rear end of thecoupling-bar can be raised above the top sides of the draw-head in theact of uncoupling. The draw-heads in this case, however, are not open atthe top their entire length; but they are constructed with a closedfront or faceplate at the top, in order to give security in keeping thebars coupled, which could not be the case if the draw-head was open itsentire length, because the coupling-bars with weighted rear ends andside pins working in side slots of the draw-heads must not be used withdraw-heads open at their front ends or top, for the draft would have atendency to at once uncouple them. The top of the face plate musttherefore be kept closed to keep the bars in and coupled. The closedfront also gives durability to the draw-head.

This construction gives the important advantage of a strong andcomparatively shal low draw-head with less metal and less ex pense.

I claim- 1. The draw-head of a car having curved or inclined side slotsand open at its top, but having an uninterrupted faceplate or closedfront, in combination with a coupling-bar adapted to operate foruncoupling through the open-top drawhead and be held in coupledpositions by said closed front, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The draw-head having vertical and lateral play upon its point ofconnection with the car, and the coupling-bar having freedom formovement in any plane, as well as a frontward and rearward movement uponits connections with the draw-head for conjoint ac tion, for the purposedescribed.

3. The draw-head having the curved or inelined side slots and the yokeor shank, as herein set forth.

4. The draw-head open at the top, and provided with the side beads togive strength and to increase the wearing-surtlu-e of its curved orinclined side slots. substantially as dcscribed.

5. The draw-head having an open top, an uninterrupted face-plate orelosed front, and a weighted coupling-bar working therein, as deseribed,in combination with the uncoup- Iingshat't II, its center lever h, andconnecting-chain j. the radius of said lever having:

such relation to the point of connection with the coupling-bar as tocause the under coupling-bar to have a forward movement to loosen itfrom the hook of the upper bar as said lever is raised through part ofits are, and a rear ward and upward movement through the open topdraw-head as said lever completes its upward turn or half-circle fromits starting-point, whereby the complete separation of the bars isefiected and maintained until the cars are separated, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

GILLMAN IT. AMES.

Witnesses:

l). Dm'uv, L. A. Dunn.

